Sámi Education Institute to publish training material on intellectual property rights

The Sámi Education Institute will provide training material on intellectual property (IP) rights related to the Sámi cultural heritage. The material will cover content such as copyright and trademarks.

The training material will be published later this spring digitally on the Sámi Education Institute's website and in printed format in six languages: Skolt Saami, Inari Saami, North Saami, Swedish, English and Finnish. 

The material supports the training of both intellection property experts and Sámi artists, especially young artists, and all those interested in traditional livelihoods.

“Both nationally and internationally, there has not been much thought given to IP rights or understanding of how they may affect the Sámi culture. In terms of sharing our knowledge and understanding, this training material is a major leap forward,” says Pasi Jaakonaho, lecturer and doctoral researcher at the Sámi Education Institute. 

“Educational material makes a significant contribution, especially to cross-border dialogue promoting the rights of the Sámi people. Publishing the material at the Sámi Summit in Brussels will bring much-needed attention to this issue,” says Anna Vuopala, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Education and Culture. 

The intellectual property rights project related to the culture of indigenous peoples in the northern region was carried out in 2022 within the framework of the Baltic Sea, Barents and Arctic (BBA) cooperation. The training material was prepared by Tuomas Mattila, a specialist in intellectual property rights, and Pasi Jaakonaho, a lecturer and doctoral researcher at the Sámi Education Institute.

The project was carried out by the Sámi Education Institute with financing from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The project steering group included representatives from the Finnish Sámi Parliament and the Sámi Duodji Association.  

The training material will be available in six languages. Some of the language versions will be completed during spring 2023.

Inquiries: 

• Pasi Jaakonaho, Lecturer and Doctoral Researcher in Arts and Crafts, Sámi Education Institute, [email protected] 
• Anna Vuopala, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Education and Culture, [email protected]